NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 8 May 2006

SpaceRef note: This NASA Headquarters internal status report, as presented here, contains additional, original material produced by SpaceRef.com (copyright © 2006) to enhance access to related status reports and NASA activities.

All ISS systems continue to function nominally, except those noted previously or below.     Underway: Week 5 of Increment 13.

With a major Russian holiday tomorrow (Victory Day, May 9), the crew today had a light work load.

CDR Vinogradov and FE/SO Williams spent several hours with Progress M-56/21P unloading and cargo transfers, based on an uplinked Unloading plan and keeping track in the IMS (Inventory Management System) with the BCR (Bar Code Reader).  As usual, the daily 21P unpack file will be downlinked tonight.

Pavel also updated/edited the standard IMS “delta file”, including locations, for the regular weekly automated export/import to its three databases on the ground (Houston, Moscow, Baikonur).

Jeff Williams completed the monthly PEP (portable emergency provisions) safety inspection.   [The IMS-supported inspection involves verification that PFEs (portable fire extinguishers), PBAs (portable breathing apparatus), QDMAs (quick-don mask assemblies) and EHTKs (extension hose/tee kits) are free of damage to ensure their functionality, and to track shelf life/life cycles on the hardware.  There are a total of 5 PBAs in the U.S. segment (USOS).  There is one EHTK, in the Lab.]

The FE completed the routine daily maintenance of the SOZh environment control & life support system in the SM, which today included the regular weekly inspection of the air/liquid condensate separation and pumping unit (BRPK).   [The BRPK is part of the condensate water processor (SRVK) that processes the condensate coming from the currently active air conditioner (SKV) for the Elektron.]

Jeff Williams conducted the daily atmospheric status check for ppO2 (Partial Pressure Oxygen) and ppCO2 (pp Carbon Dioxide), using the CSA-CP (Compound Specific Analyzer-Combustion Products), CSA-O2 (CSA-Oxygen Sensor) and CDMK (CO2 Monitoring Kit).

Both crewmembers worked out in their regular 2.5-hr. physical exercise program (about half of which is used for setup & post-exercise personal hygiene) on the CEVIS cycle ergometer (FE), TVIS treadmill (CDR), RED resistive exerciser (FE) and VELO bike with bungee cord load trainer (CDR).   [Pavel Vinogradov’s daily protocol prescribes a strict four-day microcycle exercise with 1.5 hr on the treadmill in unmotorized mode and one hour on VELO plus load trainer (today: Day 1 of the first set).]

Afterwards, the FE transferred the exercise data files to the MEC (Medical Equipment Computer) for downlink, as well as the daily wristband HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) data of the workouts on CEVIS and RED, followed by their erasure on the HRM storage medium (done six times a week).

The CDR had another search for “missing” Russian equipment items on his discretionary “time available” task list, today a component of the SOZh’s water management system with cable and accessories that were delivered about two years ago on an earlier Progress (14P).

In addition, at his discretion Pavel was to gather hardware items and tools required for a test of SOTR (Thermal Control System) hydraulics. [Currently, according to TsUP/Moscow, coolant circulation in the SOTR’s secondary thermal control loop (KOB-2) is disrupted, probably caused by presence of free air in the hydraulic lines which can partially or fully block the nominal operation of the ENA pump packages, as has happened before.  A test of the SOTR will be scheduled in the near future to check the volume of free air (bubble) in KOB and its location in the loop.]

No CEO (crew earth observations) photo targets uplinked today. 

To date, more than 186,000 of CEO images have been taken in the first five years of the ISS, almost one third of the total number of images taken from orbit by astronauts.

 CEO photography can be viewed and studied at the websites:

• http://exploration.nasa.gov/programs/station/CEO.html
• http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
• http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/AstronautPhotography/

See also the website “Space Station Challenge” at:

• http://voyager.cet.edu/iss/

To view the latest photos taken by the expedition 13 crew visit:

• http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-13/ndxpage1.html at NASA’s Human Spaceflight website.

Expedition 13 Flight Crew Plans can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/

Previous NASA ISS On-orbit Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Station Status Reports can be found here. Previous NASA Space Shuttle Processing Status Reports can be found here. A collection of all of these reports and other materials relating to Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle fleet can be found here.

ISS Orbit  (as of this morning, 4:39am EDT [= epoch]):

• Mean altitude — 344.3 km
• Apogee height — 350.8 km
• Perigee height — 337.7 km
• Period — 91.42 min.
• Inclination (to Equator) — 51.64 deg
• Eccentricity — 0.0009768
• Solar Beta Angle — 1.7 deg (magnitude at minimum)
• Orbits per 24-hr. day — 15.75
• Mean altitude loss in last 24 hours — 112 m
• Revolutions since FGB/Zarya launch (Nov. 98) — 42688

Significant Events Ahead (all dates subject to change):

• 05/20/06 — Progress M-56/21P loading complete; hatches closed
• 06/01/06 — Russian EVA-16
• 06/08/06 — ISS reboost
• 06/19?/06 — Progress M-55/20P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 06/24/06 — Progress M-57/22P launch
• 06/26/06 — Progress M-57/22P docking (DC1)
• 07/01/06 — NET STS-121/ULF1.1 launch
• 07/03-11/06 — NET STS-121/ULF1.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 07/??/06 — US EVA-5
• 08/28/07 — NET STS-115/12A launch
• 08/30-09/06 — NET STS-115/12A docked mission w/ISS
• 09/13/06 — Progress M-56/21P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 09/14/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S launch (Expedition 14 + VC11)
• 09/16/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S docking (SM aft port)
• 09/24/06 — Soyuz TMA-8/12S undocking (FGB nadir port) & reentry
• 09/??/06 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 10/18/06 — Progress M-58/23P launch
• 10/20/06 — Progress M-58/23P docking (SM aft port)
• 11/??/06 — Russian EVA-17
• 12/14/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 launch
• 12/16-23/06 — NET STS-116/12A.1 docked mission w/ISS
• 12/19/06 — Progress M-57/22P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 12/20/06 — Progress M-59/24P launch
• 12/22/06 — Progress M-59/24P docking (DC1)
• 01/22/07 — US EVA-6
• 01/26/07 — US EVA-7
• 01/31/07 — US EVA-8
• 02/06/07 — Progress M-59/24P undocking (DC1) & reentry
• 02/07/07 — Progress M-60/25P launch
• 02/09/07 — Progress M-60/25P docking (DC1)
• 02/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• 02/24-03/03/07 — NET STS-117/13A docked mission w/ISS
• 03/08/07 — Progress M-58/23P undocking (SM aft port) & reentry
• 03/09/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S launch (Expedition 15 + VC12)
• 03/11/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S docking (SM aft port)
• 03/19/07 — Soyuz TMA-9/13S undocking (FGB nadir port)
• 03/22/07 — NET STS-117/13A launch
• ??/??/07 — Soyuz TMA-10/14S relocation (SM aft port to FGB nadir port)
• 06/11/07 — NET STS-118/13A.1.

    (NET = no earlier than)

ISS Altitude History

Apogee height — Mean Altitude — Perigee height

For more on ISS orbit and worldwide ISS naked-eye visibility dates/times, see http://www.hq.nasa.gov/osf/station/viewing/issvis.html. In addition, information on International Space Station sighting opportunities can be found at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/ on NASA’s Human Spaceflight website. The current location of the International Space Station can be found at http://science.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Additional satellite tracking resources can be found at http://www.spaceref.com/iss/tracking.html.